Minister's posting plea to halt axe

A GOVERNMENT minister whose constituency has eight post offices facing closure is to lobby on their behalf. Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, is creating a dossier of evidence to try to to spare some of the eight from the axe. The closures are part of government-driven plans to close 2,500 branches nationwide, with compensation being paid to postmasters whose businesses are forced to shut.

A GOVERNMENT minister whose constituency has eight post offices facing closure is to lobby on their behalf.

Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, is creating a dossier of evidence to try to to spare some of the eight from the axe.

The closures are part of government-driven plans to close 2,500 branches nationwide, with compensation being paid to postmasters whose businesses are forced to shut.

Under the plans 67 of 380 branches in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire could close.

Environment Minister Mr Woolas's actions have been criticised after he voted with the government not to suspend the closures in March.

But Mr Woolas said he was 'no hypocrite'.

He said: "I accept there need to be closures.

"The level of subsidy post offices are operating at the moment cannot continue.

Mistakes

"But I believe mistakes have been made in the consultation process. There are some strange choices and I don't believe the geography they have used in some cases has been correct.

"Some people will say that I can't disagree with the closures and that I'm being a hypocrite. But that's not right." Mr Woolas, whose brother Andrew runs a post office in Cumbria, also turned on critics who `have turned the closures into a political issue'.

He said: "Anyone who says that all post offices should remain open - well that's just the politics of King Canute.

"We live in a democracy and hard decisions have to be made. I'll be putting together a dossier on each of the eight."

Mr Woolas is expected to face a grilling from constituents at a question and answer session at Oldham's Lees Library on Friday next week.

But the constituency's Liberal Democrat candidate, Elwyn Watkins, said: "It's a bit rich of Phil Woolas to say he is opposed to closures when he had the chance to suspend them but did not."

To find out about P.O. closures in your area clickhereto see an interactive map.